The Divine Hunter

One moment, it was the void. Ethereal, freezing, viscous. The next moment, it morphed into the real world. Unlike the Isle of Thanedd bathed in the light of dawn, this place was filled with stars and constellations. Three silhouettes crossed paths upon the dark land.

Roy quickly made a blue inverted triangle with his left hand and shoved it away. Eredin, swinging his sword, was blasted backward from the air current. Caranthir the pilot attacked from the other side, his staff tearing through the air, slamming down on Roy’s head like a warhammer.

The witcher quickly crouched, evading the attack. Putting his weight in his left leg, he spun, and Aerondight sliced away at the joints of the elves, but the White Frost, ever persistent, slowed the witcher down. Caranthir turned his staff, and sparks flew between the weapons.

Roy’s attack was blocked. A layer of frost spread through the blade, and Roy shivered. He was about to cast Fear, but then every skill related to his soul, like Fear, Shout, Symphony of the Sword—Dragon, and Descend, were locked out. He was in a stalemate with the White Frost.

A gust of wind came from behind as Eredin once again swung his greatsword at Roy.

Roy’s boystring hummed, and he disappeared. The next moment, he landed a hundred yards away, holding his blade with both hands, breathing heavily.

“You half-blood bastard.” Eredin held his greatsword up, staring at Roy’s pointy ears. There was arrogance and disdain on his face. “You have no right to possess the Elder Blood. You are a thief. You stole the treasure of Aen Elle. Once I reclaim it, I shall pulverize you.”

Roy mocked, “You’re the biggest bandits among worlds. Once I’m done with you, I’ll slice you up and feed you to the drowners.”

The fighters blinked once more, silver light and staff clashing and bursting into flames in midair. Chaos energy exploded and roared. Starlight came rushing out of the clashing fighters, and space itself rattled and cracked like a broken mirror. The darkness wrapped them up like a layer of suffocating fog.

The fighters disappeared.

***

Their next battlefield had the smell of soil and grass hanging in the air, dancing with the downpour. The blood on the fighters’ armor was washed away. A silver flash of light pierced the veil of rain, hurtling toward the arrogant Eredin. Eredin bowed his head, and one of the horns on his helm broke. He spun his greatsword and stepped ahead, roaring insults at his enemy, trying to rattle his mind. “Our tribe is a thousand times superior than any lowly witcher!” Howls and screeches tore through the rain. “We are your betters!”

Blades flew in the air, but the rain kept pouring on. Eredin’s greatsword was almost a hurricane now. “You putrid, filthy, indecorous rat! Come out and die!”

Roy’s drenched hair was billowing in the air, darting around the rain like fish in a lake. The witcher dodged and darted and leapt and jumped, dancing a deadly waltz as he pirouetted his way out of his enemy’s attacks. He jabbed, stabbed, sliced, and thrust away at Eredin’s vitals, but his blade could not penetrate Eredin’s armor. It seemed to be made out of something special.

Caranthir was like a viper waiting for his chance. Knowing he was no match for Roy in close-quarter combat, he hid himself within the rain, disappearing and reappearing in random places, out of Roy’s reach. Every time he reappeared, the elven sorcerer would hurl fireballs, howling winds, colorful beams, electric bolts, and the White Frost, all to disturb the witcher’s flow.

After a long stalemate, Roy realized that to win this battle, first he must destroy the ranged fighter, Caranthir. He evaded the greatsword coming at his shoulder and showed an opening on purpose. Eredin sliced through the fiery Magma Quen, his blade barely grazing Roy’s cheek. A lock of Roy’s hair was cut off, and the blade went for his throat.

It was then, a bolt of electricity hurtled through the air, charging at Roy’s back, trying to catch Roy between two attacks.

Just like Roy wanted. Got you. He shoved his left hand ahead. A patch of the rain exploded, and a magical air current slammed into Eredin’s belly. The impact made the elf stagger backward.

Roy held Gabriel with his right hand and pointed it backward, and the weapon took aim at Caranthir, as if Roy had eyes on the back of his head.

Something flickered through the rain. The bolt traversed a hundred yards right away and hit Caranthir’s staff. Caranthir’s mana stopped flowing for a moment, and then, he saw something looming overhead. He couldn’t breathe. The only thing he saw was the glint of a blade running across his eyes.

Die!

A stream of blood spurted through the air. Caranthir held his bloody left eye, howling in pain. Roy swung his wrist and thrust his blade ahead, piercing Caranthir’s right eye. He wanted to stab through the elf’s brain, but he was one second too late.

Eredin leapt out of the air and swung his blade away at Roy’s back. Blood streamed like a fountain, revealing Roy’s bloody shoulderbone.

Roy’s movement changed. Aerondight spun by half an inch, grazing the horned helm. Caranthir escaped death, and he quickly used his ability once more, as death was looming overhead.

Starlight drowned the fighters once more.

***

The Elder Blood within their bodies resonated and went berserk. Uncontrollable, the blood forced the fighters to traverse the void again and again. They would stop in one place for two minutes, and then they would be transported to another spot. The blood’s teleportation was not only limited to one world. They would be taken to bizarre places too.

But no matter the place, the battle never ended. It only went on to be more dangerous and intense. When they were taken to the scorching sands, Roy quickly used the Sign he created and summoned a lava dragon from the planet’s core and destroyed Caranthir’s leg.

When they were taken to a place with three moons hanging in the sky, Caranthir tossed a bolt of black lightning and charred the witcher who failed to dodge in time. His flesh was cooked, and the air was filled with the scent of grilled meat. Fortunately, the higher vampire decoction saved him.

When they were taken to a place where the skies were overcast and the volcano was shooting crimson magma a thousand degrees hot, Roy hid behind the volcanic ash and pierced the nape of Eredin with his blade, but Aen Elle’s powerful healing spell kept him alive.

When they were taken to a ravine covered in a thick layer of ice and ravaged by blizzards, the exhausted pilot unleashed all the power of the White Frost in his body, freezing Roy. Eredin took the chance to slice off the witcher’s head, but before his consciousness could fade completely, Roy cast Ring of Time to heal himself back up.

***

Another world they came to, and another world they were taken to. The battle raged on and on, for no one knew how long. When their bodies, mind, and mana were finally at their limits, the berserking Elder Blood finally stopped. One last time, they were taken to a place in the opposite direction of Tor Lara. They landed on an unusually steep cliffside. Seagulls were perched between reefs of peculiar shapes. Icy winds brought with them the stench of excrements left by the birds on the reefs.

“Witcher, you are the most powerful opponent I have ever met in my life.” Eredin held himself up by pushing down on his greatsword.

Caranthir, blind and missing a leg, was holding on to his staff as well. Both the elves’ helms were missing, and more than half of their armor was chipped away, revealing their injured chest beneath. There was no longer any scorn on their faces.

“You are worthy of the Elder Blood. One final sincere suggestion. Join us. You need a better stage. You shall write the story of your glory in the infinite worlds.”

“At this point, words are pointless. We’re destined to be enemies.” The black silhouette on the top of the reef shook his head, his cracked armor swaying as well.

Roy had seen better days. His hair and eyebrows were burned off, his face was covered in scabs and wounds, his looks ruined. His whole body was covered in injuries. His eyes, however, were still filled with determination and fighting spirit. “Neither can live while the other survives. And now, I will end your evil lives.”

***

The fighters charged at their enemies. Eredin swung his weapon at Roy’s chest, and the witcher took a step back, letting Eredin’s weapon gouge his flesh. Blood splattered all over Erdin’s face.

Roy shoved his right hand up, and Aerondight lashed out like a viper, piercing Eredin’s shoulder.

Caranthir held his wobbly body up with his staff, chanting a spell. He hurled a bolt of electricity at the witcher. Roy quickly rolled away, dodging the greatsword and electric bolt. The moment he stood up, he pulled the trigger.

A bolt zipped through the air. Caranthir was too worn out to react. He flew backward and fell with a thud. A hole was bored through his forehead, brains and blood spilling out of the wound. And then, the last thing he saw was the witcher’s rising blade.

And Caranthir’s head was sliced off. His arteries were revealed, and they hissed. Blood spurted high up into the air, like lava roaring from a volcano.

‘Caranthir killed. +10000 EXP. Level 15 Witcher (12000/18500). You have absorbed his Elder Blood. Your Elder Blood’s power is bolstered.’

***

The sight of his companion’s death made Eredin shed crimson tears. He let out a beastly roar and charged at the witcher, swinging his weapon. Roy’s weapon clashed with his, and then they launched into another bout of bloody assault once more.

The fighters’ sense of pain had been numbed over the course of the battle and the numerous wounds they sustained. They wouldn’t evade unless their vitals were threatened.

Roy pierced Eredin’s underarms, and Eredin sliced Roy’s belly open, revealing his innards. Flesh and blood fell, forming little streams underneath the fighters’ feet. It didn’t take long until the fighters were nothing but bloody silhouettes.

And then, with the last of his mana, Roy quickly made a green inverted triangle.

Eredin was captivated for a moment, unable to evade. And Aerondight sliced his throat. Blood came charging out, and Eredin roared.

He smacked the witcher away with his blade, then his weapon fell out of his hand, buried into the ground. And then he fell to his knees, surrounded by a pool of his blood. The source of this content ɪs Novᴇlꜰɪre.nᴇt

To really end things, Roy held himself up and hobbled over, swinging his weapon down on Eredin’s neck. But then the elf had a burst of unimaginable strength. He blocked the blade with his left hand and held the crossguard and Roy’s hand with his right.

He held them tightly. “Witcher… child of the Elder Blood… glory… be to you…”

Eredin enunciated each word slowly, his green eyes turning wide. For a moment, through the witcher’s crimson-and-black face, Eredin thought he saw the past glory of Aen Elle. It was something that happened eons ago, and Aen Elle’s glory was destroyed by a white disaster.

Dismay filled his eyes, but that was it for him. All his ambition was gone.

Roy stomped Eredin’s chest in and pulled his bloodstained blade out. He thrust the weapon through Eredin’s chest and pinned him to the ground.

Eredin’s hands went limp. Winds came in from the sea. And the King of the Wild Hunt drew his last breath.

‘Eredin killed. +12000 EXP. Level 15 Witcher (24000/18500). You have absorbed his Elder Blood. Your Elder Blood is now in its intermediate level of awakening.’

Starlight radiated from Roy’s body, but he couldn’t control it. He could feel something within him change, but before the witcher could feel what the change was, his strength waned, and he fell forward.

Something shattered. Winds howled around him. It was supposed to be summer, and yet the winds were bitingly cold.

And snow fell.

Roy, and everyone on the Tor Lara battlefield further away, be it sorcerers, witchers, the Wild Hunt, or Aretuza’s people, raised their heads.

A hole was torn in the skies over the seas beyond. Snow and frost came rushing in, stirring up a literal storm.

The lands itself were turned to a shade of deathly white.

The end of the world had come.

***

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